Pakistan has joined seven Muslim-majority countries in issuing a joint diplomatic statement condemning recent Israeli actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. The coordinated response describes the developments as a breach of international law and warns that continued actions at the holy site could further destabilise the region and undermine prospects for peace.
The statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates following reports that more than 1,300 Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, entered the Al-Aqsa compound during the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av. The ministers criticised what they described as repeated incursions under Israeli security protection, along with other actions they said altered the site’s historical and legal status.
The eight countries said the developments violated relevant United Nations resolutions and the long-standing arrangements governing the Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem. They reiterated that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its religious sites and stressed the need to preserve the existing legal and historical status quo.
The joint declaration also condemned inflammatory rhetoric, calls encouraging further incursions and other measures that, according to the ministers, risk increasing tensions across the region. They urged the international community to uphold international law and prevent actions that could further escalate the already fragile security situation.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office shared the statement on its official platforms, reaffirming Islamabad’s long-standing support for the protection of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The participating countries also renewed their backing for a two-state solution based on international law, arguing that respect for the status of Jerusalem’s holy places remains essential to achieving lasting regional stability.
